The Peacock At Home | Page 2

in a costume of vine-leaves or paste.
The
WOODCOCK preferr'd his lone haunt on the moor;
And the

Traveller, SWALLOW, was still on his tour.
While the CUCKOO,
who should have been one of the guests
Was rambling on visits to
other Birds' Nests.
[Illustration: "Such ruffling of feathers, such pruning of coats, &c."
_Page 5._]
But the rest all accepted the kind invitation,
And much bustle it
caused in the plumed creation:
Such ruffling of feathers, such pruning
of coats;
Such chirping, such whistling, such clearing of throats;

Such polishing bills and such oiling of pinions
Had never been
known in the biped dominions.
The TAYLOR BIRD offer'd to make
up new clothes
For all the young Birdlings, who wish'd to be Beaux:

He made for the ROBIN a doublet of red,
And a new velvet cap for
the GOLDFINCH'S head;
He added a plume to the WREN'S golden
crest,
And spangled with silver the GUINEA-FOWL'S breast;

While the HALCYON bent over the streamlet to view,
How pretty
she look'd in her boddice of blue!
Thus adorn'd, they set off for the
Peacock's abode, [p 6] With the Guide INDICATOR, who show'd them
the road:
From all points of the compass, flock'd Birds of all feather;
And the PARROT can tell who and who were together.
There was
Lord CASSOWARY and General FLAMINGO,
And Don
PEROQUETO, escap'd from Domingo;
From his high rock built
eyrie the EAGLE came forth,
And the Duchess of PTARMIGAN
flew from the North.
The GREBE and the EIDER DUCK came up by
water,
With the SWAN, who brought out the young CYGNET, her
daughter. From his woodland abode came the PHEASANT to meet

Two kindred, arrived by the last India fleet;
The one, like a Nabob, in
habit most splendid,
Where gold with each hue of the Rainbow was
blended:
In silver and black, like a fair pensive Maid,
Who mourns
for her love, was the other array'd.
The CHOUGH came from
Cornwall, and brought up his Wife;
The GROUSE travell'd south,
from his Lairdship in Fife;
The BUNTING forsook her soft nest in
the reeds, [p 7] And the WIDOW-BIRD came, though she still wore

her weeds. Sir John HERON, of the Lakes, strutted in a _grand pas_,

But no card had been sent to the pilfering DAW,
As the Peacock kept
up his progenitor's quarrel,
Which Æsop relates, about cast-off
apparel;
For Birds are like Men in their contests together,
And, in
questions of right, can dispute for a feather.
[Illustration: "From his high rock-built eyrie the Eagle came forth, &c."
_Page 6._]
[Illustration: "A holly-bush form'd the orchestra, &c."--_Page 7._]
The PEACOCK, Imperial, the pride of his race,
Receiv'd all his
guests with an infinite grace,
Wav'd high his blue neck, and his train
he display'd,
Embroider'd with gold, and with em'ralds inlaid.
Then
with all the gay troop to the shrubb'ry repair'd,
Where the musical
Birds had a concert prepar'd;
A holly bush form'd the Orchestra, and
in it
Sat the Black-bird, the Thrush, the Lark, and the Linnet; A
BULL-FINCH, a captive! almost from the nest,
Now escap'd from his
cage, and, with liberty blest,
In a sweet mellow tone, join'd the
lessons of art
With the accents of nature, which flow'd from his heart.

The CANARY, a much admir'd foreign musician, [p 8]
Condescended to sing to the Fowls of condition.
While the
NIGHTINGALE warbled and quaver'd so fine,
That they all clapp'd
their wings, and pronounc'd it divine! The SKY LARK, in extacy, sang
from a cloud,
And CHANTICLEER crow'd, and the YAFFIL laugh'd
loud.
The dancing began, when the singing was over;
A
DOTTERELL first opened the ball with the PLOVER;
Baron
STORK, in a waltz, was allowed to excel,
With his beautiful partner,
the fair DEMOISELLE;
And a newly-fledg'd GOSLING, so fair and
genteel,
A minuet swam with the spruce Mr. TEAL.
A
London-bred SPARROW--a pert forward Cit!
Danc'd a reel with
Miss WAGTAIL, and little TOM TIT.
And the Sieur GUILLEMOT
next performed a _pas seul_,
While the elderly bipeds were playing a
Pool.
The Dowager Lady TOUCAN first cut in,
With old Doctor

BUZZARD and Adm'ral PENGUIN,
From Ivy bush tow'r came
Dame OWLET the Wise,
And Counsellor CROSSBILL sat by to
advise.
[Illustration: "Baron Stork, in a waltz, was allowed to excel, &c."
_Page 8._]
[Illustration: "The Dowager Lady Toucan first cut in, &c."--_Page 8._]
[Illustration: "Till a Magpie, at length, the banquet announcing, &c."
_Page 9._]
Some birds past their prime, o'er whose heads it was fated, [p 9] Should
pass many St. Valentines--yet be unmated,
Sat by, and remark'd that
the prudent and sage
Were quite overlook'd in this frivolous age,

When Birds, scarce pen-feathered, were brought to a rout, Forward
Chits! from the egg-shell but newly come out:
In their youthful days,
they ne'er witness'd such frisking, And how wrong! in the
GREENFINCH to flirt with the SISKIN. So thought Lady MACKAW,
and her Friend COCKATOO,
And the RAVEN foretold that no good
could ensue!
They censur'd the BANTAM for strutting and crowing

In those vile pantaloons, which he fancied look'd knowing: And a
want of decorum caus'd many demurs
Against the GAME CHICKEN,
for coming in spurs.
Old Alderman CORMRANT, for supper impatient,
At the
Eating-room